Automotoneer.



G.. W. HAMILTON.

AUTOMOTONEER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1911.

Patented Aug. 2'7, 1912.

INV NTQR AT'TORNEY s'ra 'EORG-E HAMILTON. OF EDGEWOOD PARK- PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR" TO WEST- men.

INGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOTONEER.

Specification of hetters'ratent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

Application filed December 28, 1911. Serial No. 667.915.

To all: whom a 2- may 00 ncern:

Be it known that I, Grow W. ITAhIlL- "ron, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park. in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented a. new and useful Improvement in Automotoneers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to controllers for electric motors and it has special reference with the parts of standard controllers as todelay the operation of such controllers and so prevent injuring'the motor or motors governed by them.

. Various mechanical attachments have heretofore been proposed for introducing a time element. between successive notches of a manually operated controller, but many of them have the disadvantage of requiring considerable additional effort on the partof the attendant, while others are unsightly or ineffective.

According to my present invention. I-provide a simpl mechanism which is dependent upon the accentua-ting pawl settling fully into the notches in the surface of the 'st'ar'wheel or cam with which it'is adapted to engage. w r Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is a plan view, with a portion of the cover removed, and Fig. 2 is a partial elevation of a controller embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawings, the' usual con- ,tact-bearing drum 1. of a controller, is provided with a shaft 2 and is rotatively mounted insuitable bearings provided in a Y base (not shown) and in a, cover 3 which forms apart of a casing 4:. An accentuating cam or star wheel '5 is secured't'o the shaft 2 at the upper end of the drum within the- 8 into engagement with "the notches 11 of the star wheei. A ratchet wheel 12 is also secured to the shaft 2 and is located directly above the cam or star wheel One arm of the pawl (i, which is bifurcated torrcceive the roller 8. is'provided with a projection 13 to engage'the tail of a latcb-1-l when the roller is in any one of the notches 11. The

latch 14. is pivotally supported upon a pin 15 and its front or hook end is forced inwardly by a spring 16 to engage one of thc teeth of the ratchet, when not held out of such engagement by the projection 13.

The arrangement of parts is such that, at each position of the controller. the drum is locked against turtberforward rotation by the latch 14 until the roller 8 settles into the notch 11 of the star wheel that corresponds to the position occupied by the controller. If a careless or ignorant operator attempts to rotate the control drum too v rapidly by means-of the control handle 17,

the roller 8 will obviously not have time to go to the bottom of the notch 11 corresponding to the position of the drum and, consequently. the drum. will be temporarily locked in this position.

My invention is not limited to a controller of the drum type or of any part cular type,

nor is it limited to the specific structural details illustrated. and I desiretha-tonly such limitations shall be imposed.'iis,iatge*in-- dicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: i

1. A controller, compril'ng a movable contact member. operatingmcaiis' therefor, 'a notched member for accentuat-ing' positions of the contact member. and coiipcrating means having a member to engage the accentuating notches and a latch for preventing movement of the contact member, said latch being released only when the engaging mcmbcr settles into one of the notches of the accentuating member.

2. A controller comprising av movable contact member, an actuating lever therefor, cotiperating accentuating members. one of which is adapted to progress with the contact member and means for preventing movement of the contact member until released by the full engagement of the accentuating members in each control position.

3. A controller comprising a movable contact member, a notched accentuating member and an accentuating' lever adapted to lever cooperating with the notched cam or star wheel and means for temporarily looking the drum in ea'ch of its control positions until released by the full engagement of the accentuating lever with the corresponding notch of the star wheel.

5. A controller comprising a contactbearing drum, an operating handle, a

notchedcam -o r star wheel, an accentuating lever cooperating with the notched cam or star wheel, a ratchet/wheel secured to the contact-bearing drum, a latch cooperating with the ratchet wheel and means carried by the accentuating lever for withdrawing the latch when the lever isin full engagement with a star Wheel notc j 6. Control apparatus comprising a mov able member adapted to occupy a plurality of positions, cooperating members for ac- 'centuating the several control positions, and

means for delaying the operation of the control apparatus at each control position until-released by the full engagement of the cooperating members.

Intestimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day of Dec.

GEoReE W HAMILTON.

I Witnesses:

I R.'J. DEARBoRN, B. B. Hmns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Wash1ngton,-D. G. i V 

